Getting to know the Sadist
by demoncakes
Summary: A girl who cannot seem to come to terms with the changes in her life, bitter and sad, is given another chance, inside the world she only dreamt about living in. Okita/OC A bit of Gintoki/OC Reverse Harem LoveCom Pairing (Tall Girl and slightly Shorter Guy)
1. Chapter 1 The Real World

**Gintama Fanfiction – Okita Sougo POST GINTAMA ANIME; if you haven't watched the whole show then I suggest you don't spoil it for yourself because I just might have references through the story about it.**

**Mind you, my name is not Lavinia; I just really like that name **

**Authors Disclaimer:I could never own Gintama even if I had all the money in the world, because I am not as talented as Hideaki Sorachi. **

LAVA'S POV

Lava's Profile

Name: Lavinia R Cornell

Nickname: Lava

Height: 178 cm/ 5'10 (I know tall right? Inspired from LOVE COM! I'm so sick and tired of the girls practically being like 10 inches shorter than the boy. Now, it's going to be the other way around wink wink *-*)

Hair: Long Dark Brown Hair with hazelnut streaks

Eyes: Dark Brown

Skin: Tanned

Likes: Gintama, Ivy (friend of course), Animaniafest, Cute little puppies, blogging, reading

Dislikes: School, School and school and maybe Okita Sougo, for now anyways *sadistic prick*

**Chapter 1 – The Real World**

**SCHOOL GROUNDS – REAL WORLD**

"You've been acting very strange lately…I don't know if it's a family problem or that you're just holding out on me again."

"Meh."

"Don't 'MEH' me, Lava; I'm not going to take that crap from anyone especially you!"

"I just don't want to talk about it, ok? I just want a bit of privacy for once, without you dawdling of in your own world, talking about how some day you're going to become Daniel James' girlfriend."

This is my usual day. It starts off with me being silent at morning break and more silence at lunch. Everything seems to be going fine, until Ivy snaps and throws a tantrum in front of the whole school.

Ivy and I are in our last year in high school, you see, and Ivy here wants to make up for all the lost time that was spent studying in our junior years, with focusing more on her social life now. On the other hand, I don't see the use of having a walking, talking bastard as a companion any time soon.

"…Daniel James is just perfect for me! But, I am a little shy, what can I do?... Lava, are you listening? Lava, stop daydreaming. God, it feels like you're on a fucking different planet. I'd have a better conversation with sheep."

_I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. Either way, I'm just too careless to give a damn. I __**wish**__ I was on another planet. The planet of Gintama._

"You know what? I'm feeling a bit sick right now, so I'll go to the nurse and ask to go home (and skip last period)" I said.

"Really? Oh, I'm sorry for annoying you at lunch…you could of told me you were feeling sick. No wonder you were more quite than usual. Well, I'll see you next week, alright?"

"Sure,sure. Umm, well, I better get going before I started puking or something like that.

_The bell for last period rang._

"Oh, what do you know? The bell just went! See you later Lava!"

"Yeah. You too."

NORMAL POV

Lava had made her way up to the nurses' room and knocked on the door. There was no answer .She knocked again.

"Hmmm..where the heck are the nurses? I could be dying right now and they wouldn't give a horses' arse whether I was alright."

She sighed.

"Ok. I'm coming in so don't blame me if I see you doing something that you'll regret." She opened the door and inspected the room. At first, she thought that maybe they went to a meeting of some sort but then she heard a giggle.

She followed the sound until she was standing in front of a closet door. "Stop it! It's ticklish….hahaahah," a woman's voice said from inside the closet "Adam, if you don't stop that right now, you won't be getting anything from me tonight, that I can assure you."

"Now, now baby. Hold on a minute I'm pretty sure that you can spare a little more action." the supposed "Adam" said.

Lava practically vomited at the sound of it. Ugh, bonding of the opposite sex. Yay! She thought sarcastically. _Oh well, I'll blackmail her into getting me out of this hole._ She went up to the closet door and opened it without hesitation.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A nurse and her boyfriend. Seems like you'll be doing the hard time once the principal hears about this, miss." Lava said

The nurse had gotten out of the closet in a disorderly fashion, with her blouse half done up and skirt un-zipped. "Excuse me? Did I hear that right? The Principal! You little bitch, I'm a slap you for that!"

The nurse grabbed onto Lava's collar and pulled her up. Lava smirked. "You're just digging your grave, Miss Nurse. Mind you, my father is a _very _good friend of the Principal and will go to measures to make sure you will _never _get employed ever again." The nurse paused. She let go of Lava and looked her straight in the eye. "Ok, let's get straight to the point. What do you want?" she asked

"I want a gate pass out of this place for today and certification from you that I won't be attending school for the next couple of days because of a _very unforseen_ illness. You should be able to do that, right?" Lava asked

The nurse looked into Lava's eyes once again. She knew that this girl wasn't full of shit. She'd better do this if she wanted to keep her job. "…I accept your proposal. I will give you a gate pass and advise the staff that you were very ill and cannot attend school for the rest of the week." She said.

The Nurse had handed the gate pass and without further adieu, Lava walked out of the door. Lava thought to herself. _Ha, what a cinch. The nurse was practically eating out of my hands. My dad knows the principal and is good friends? Get real, my dad doesn't even come to parent/teacher interviews let alone knowing the staff. It's not like he would anyways, even if I wanted him to._

Lava got home 20 minutes later. She went up to her front door. She tried twisting the handle but it was locked. _Hmm, no one's home once again. _Lava got her keys out of her bag and opened the door. "I'm home everybody. Yes, I know you're all happy to see me! Aren't we one awesome family or what?" she said. Silence answered her question. "It's not like I expected anything anyways. Why did you guys go?" she whispered to herself. _What? It's not a time to be depressed Lava! _She told herself.

Lava held her head high as she walked up the stairs until she got to her bedroom. "Ah, my holy sanctuary. Where all things Japanese are welcome, especially manga and anime." Her bedroom walls were covered with posters of her favourite animes and stacks of manga books were stored in her bookshelf.

Lava walked up to Gintama poster and smiled at it proudly. "One day, I'll join them in my dreams and have the most epicest times together."

Lava went up to her bed and lied down. _You know what; I might start reading some more of Gintama. _She looked up and saw that there was a Gintama manga lying open on her bed. She grabbed it and flipped through the pages. "Ah, yes. I remember that scene, where Gin was a super hottie at the host club, with Shin and 'Gura'." She kept on reading on and on, to pass the time.

"I wonder where Dad is now. He should be home about now; maybe he's caught in traffic, yes that's it." _No, it's not and you know that. He's probably getting drunk at the pub and will get laid after with one of the barmaids. Ugh, he's changed so much after it happened. I want my OLD Dad back, the nice and caring person who looked forward to coming home. _

Lava didn't realise but as she thought this, tears came down her cheeks until it landed on the manga. She looked down as the water dissolved the ink and the lines that were so defined now looked blurred and smudged to a point where you couldn't recognise Gin's face. "You guys have it so easy. Bad things happen and the end every thing's alright. Real life's not like that, it's a jungle out there and I'm afraid to go on alone."

One minute had gone by and Lava was completely silent. Something was appearing on the page. It got lighter and lighter and Lava had noticed it. "What the hell?" It started sucking Lava into the page. "What is going on here? I don't want to die yet!" she screamed. By then, the bottom half of Lava's body had somehow already been sucked in and she was grabbing onto her bed sheets for dear life. "AHH! What in the name of HOLY BEJEBUS IS GOING ON HERE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE A VIRGIN! NOO!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she got sucked fully into the light.

**DUNDUNDUN!** What is going to happen now? Please review as this is my first ever fan fiction... yes, i know its kinda sucky but I must start from somewhere and with some constructive criticism, I will know which way to go with my story :) THANK YOU ... DON'T WORRY THOUGH, I'll make the chapters longer, this is just a starter.


	2. Chapter 2 Parallel Worlds

Gintama Fanfiction – Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Parallel Worlds

**Hmm... I hope you guys enjoy this: P**

**Authors Disclaimer: Delusions people. I could never own Gintama even if I had all the money in the world, because I am not as talented as Hideaki Sorachi**

_Hmm, I feel all fuzzy. It's so warm here in my bed with my nice fuzzy blanket. Yes, so fuzzy... Wait. I don't have a fuzzy blanket. What the hell? _Lava woke up startled at the thought being at a house other than her own.

"What just happened and where the fuck am I?" she asked. She looked around to find out the fuzzy blanket was actually the fur of a humongous dog sleeping and nestled against her. She backed away from 'it' very quietly.

_A huge dog? Oh my shitting god! It's Sadaharu! I'm in Gin's house? No Lava, you're just having a hallucination...or a dream, either way._

The dog had awoken and looked around. It had seen Lava and jumped right next to her and bit her head.

"Ouch, bad Sadaharu, bad doggie!" said Lava. Sadaharu looked at the ground and started whimpering.

"Aww, it's okay. I know you didn't want to anything bad to me." Whispered Lava.

She started to tickle Sadaharu behind the ears until it was barking with glee. "Who's a good doggy? Yes you are, yes you are!"

"Gin, I want some pickled seaweed! Ginnnnnn!" a childish voice said.

"Kagura, how can I explain it any clearer? WE ARE BROKE! No more seaweed until we get our hands on some cash."

_Oh shit. I can hear them from downstairs, it's them. How do I explain to them that something weird happened and somehow I got sucked into their world? No explanation would suffice for those 3. Better hide for now..._

Lava ran for Kagura's bed in the closet and hid. "I'm in a lot of shit now..."she whispered to herself. The sliding door opened and in came Gin, Kagura and Shinpachi. "Kagura, just eat rice for now and deal with it. The hag is after the rent and I've got no money, got it?" "Gin-san, maybe if you lazed around less and worked more, you would have money to buy your necessities." said Shinpachi.

Lava was still hidden in Kagura's bed, under the sheets. _Holy sweet mother of Jesus, I'm seeing the Odd Jobs trio in the flesh. Somebody pinch me please. _

"Gin, I can sense somebody here and it's not Sadaharu." whispered Kagura. "Ok, come on out now and we won't hurt you, whoever you are. I know you're in Kagura's bed." Gin said.

_How the hell-? Never mind that, I'll just have to give myself up. _Lava slowly opened the closet and came out slowly. "Ahhaha...hi there?"

"And just who are you and what are you doing in our house? Are you a spy? You are a spy!" exclaimed Shinpachi.

"No, I am NOT a spy! I'm just a girl who's lost her way around here; I can't remember what happened to me or how I got here, but if you have any mercy in your hearts which I'm sure that you do, please, I beg you, not to throw me out just yet." Lava said. 5 seconds later a reply came back. Silence encased the room, until the voice came and spoke out.

"Well, we've had a lot of freeloaders in the past, and since the streets of the town are not nice to pretty women like yourself, you are permitted to lounge around with one exception: YOU are to work for YOUR board and for the time being, you'll be part of the odd jobs, now ODD JOBS quartet," Gin said "And Shinpachi, why we're you referring to this house as OURS? It is MY house you idiot."

Night had come and the aroma of food could be smelt from outside in the streets with the nomad venders on the go.

"Gin, what's for dinner?" asked Kagura.

Gin was uninterested about what Kagura had to say and continued to pick his nose while watching the television.

"Excuse me, Gin, but what exactly are you guys going to have dinner? Its seven thirty and you haven't prepared anything..." said Lava.

No response came and Lava got pissed off.

"GIN! WAKE UP YOU NOSE PICKING LAZY ASS!"

"Ugh, you, shut up. I can pick my nose when I want, where I want. As for the dinner, just go and check with Kagura what we've got in the pantry."

Lava looked at him with mock hatred and smirked.

_What does he think I am? A fricking housewife? Well, since I just came and intruded into their lives, I'm sure I can leave him get away with this. Lava, compose yourself. Do not give away that you are angry._

"Sure, that's totally fine GIN. We GIRLS will just go check what to make for dinner. Come on Kagura, let's leave these MEN be."

Kagura and Lava entered the somewhat casual kitchen and walked up to the pantry. Kagura started to step away from it silently and cautiously.

"Why are you going away? What's got you so worried?" Lava asked.

"Just open it and you'll find out why."

Grabbing both knobs of the pantry, Lava slowly opened it up and was horrified at the sight.

_Oh God! What in Mother Mary happened here?_

Inside the pantry, cog webs were dominating the space with mould growing on the rims of the pantry; a bag of rice could be barely seen.

"Oh hell no...I am not going to cook, that's it, I'll go hungry tonight and tomorrow, I'm going shopping with the charitable help of Gin's money. GOOD NIGHT EVERYBODY!"

It was eight at night and lava was lounging on the futon given generously to her by Gin and seemed to be stuck in a moment of thought.

_Now that I'm here, my dad's probably wondering where I am...or not. Either way, how am I going to get back; I doubt that anyone on this world will believe that I came from a different dimension, a different world. How am I going to tell them that I watched animes about them, read fictions about them and even watched mock iTunes ads with all the GINTAMA characters in it...anywhoosers, I reckon that I should just make the best of what I've got right now._

**MUAHAHAAH: **Just wait, I'm going to get there; they'll meet and who knows what will happen when they do :D


	3. Chapter 3 The First Meeting

Gintama Fanfiction – Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – The First Meet

**Like it or not, please just read; I'm pretty new to this and I would love for people to just continue on into the story :3 The first two chapters were very childish like and now I'm going to try and be more descriptive...umm, don't mind the few Japanese words I tried to add in; they're really easy to understand anyways if you've watched at least 5 eps or more, you'll get it. Just so you know, Lava has a tendency to talk to herself, so don't assume she's going crazy- that's the way she is. Oh, AND I'M REALLY SORRY IF THEY SEEM OUT OF CHARACTER! X(  
**

**Authors Disclaimer: Hideaki Sorachi, you sir, are as AWESOME as they come **

At dawn, the burnt orange and yellow rays of the mighty sun started to shine all of its glory onto the streets of Edo. The light had slowly but gracefully seeped into the building, through the windows and onto Lava's peaceful face.

Lava, having an internal clock, instantly woke up at that moment, and from there, she went straight to the bathroom, relieved herself and washed her hands. She then proceeded to wash her face with soapy water; using a scrub to wear away any loose dead skin that might have been there from the previous night.

Wet and irritated, with shut eyes, Lava felt for a small towel and patted her face until it was completely dry. Slowly looking at the slightly cracked mirror in front of her, she looked different from what she was when she resided in the real world.

First of all, her hair had been dyed black but now it seemed, her hair had magically transformed back into her natural hazelnut brown shade. Second of all, she had ugly looking braces, in the world where her dad was a drunk, and now she didn't, which came as a relief to Lava.

Lastly, she had a long thin scar on her left cheek, a scar that was a reminder of what her Dad did to her in a fit of rage, days after the love of his life had died. The scar was not visible any more but it was the memory of what happened that really hurt her the most.

Getting out of a trance at looking at herself with surprise, Lava went out to the lounge room to find Gin drooling on the couch, wasted and asleep. Not too shocked about the fact that Gin was, all in all, a slob, she decided it was time to wake him up.

"FIRE! There's FIRE ENGULFING EVERY BEING OF MY BODY! ARGHHHH!" screamed Lava.

Gin woke up instantaneously; the blood rushed into his brain and all of a sudden had a major headache. "Oh crap, my head...FIRE? Where's the FIRE? I don't see ANY fire Lava! I don't even smell any fricking smoke!"

Lava laughed; it was great to prank somebody, even if that somebody was a _former _respected fiction idol. "Rise and shine, lazy ass. It's time we hit the markets and got us some supplies because frankly speaking, I don't know how all of you guys survive."

Shinpachi and Kagura ran straight into the lounge room with buckets full of water in each hand. "WHERE'S THE FIRE? WE GOTTA EXTINGUISH IT BEFORE IT KILLS THE LOT OF US!" shouted Kagura. In return there Gin and Lava had stared at Kagura and Shinpachi, like they had seen aliens and then after a few seconds of looking at each other with blank expressions, laughed their guts out in unison.

Shinpachi, who obviously caught up in the situation pushed glasses back and looked at Lava with a tired but obviously disappointed look. "You were joking...you...were...just...joking." Shinpachi went back to pour the water out and Kagura gave a defiant look probably meaning by the lines of 'You stupid fool.' Lava, feeling bad for what she did, decided to make amends with the lot.

"I'm sorry guys," as she looked down at the ground in shame, "I know what I did was stupid, and all you guys have done is given me a place to stay when you could've chucked me out. I'd like to make it up to you, but right now, I don't even know what I'm doing here or why I'm here. I'd thought it would be a joke to see Gin cringe in annoyance to find out it was all a prank, but I guess I didn't really picture it to be this way. I am deeply sorry if I offended you guys, Shinpachi and Kagura, please forgive me."

"OI! What about me? You didn't ask for MY forgiveness? The owner of this business deserves the RES-" Gin was cut off by Shinpachi's voice.

"We forgive you, Lava. Or at least I do. You'll have to ask Kagura on her opinion; I know you meant well."

"Thanks for that. Kagura?"

Kagura looked at Lava with a scrunched up face, deep in thought. Then she spoke. "I can't believe what you did today. Your scream woke me up with a big fright, scared the bazonkas out of me and I quickly hurried out, fearing that it might be too late. You pranked ME! Kagura, does not like getting pranked on, being the figure of ridicule! I lost all my respect for you, even if it was only a little. But now, I see that you're trying to make me forgive you by apologising, and I do forgive you. That is, if you...get me some pickled seaweed!" she said, ending it with a small but true smile.

Lava looked at Shinpachi and Kagura with nothing but pure gratefulness in her heart. She gave them both a big toothy smile and then looked at Gin and with one raised eyebrow, smirked at him. After that, she collectively looked and addressed the group on a topic of great importance.

"We seriously need to get to the markets. You're pantry is in a pretty bad state at the moment, so I have decided that we all need to go and buy some food."

"Oh yeah? Where are you going to find the money to fund such a trip- as I think you have already noticed, we are broke." Gin said sceptically.

_Oh no, just wait until I 'accidentally' discover your secret stash of cash you keep in your underwear drawer while I was 'cleaning up the house'. Thank God that it showed that in the manga. _(A/N: I made up that fact, only for the story)

"Well, I was thinking, that I might just tidy up the house before we head out on our journey to the shops, you know, to earn my board here and all...stuff like that." Lava suggested.

Gin, not paying attention to what she just said and, just gave a nod and a trademark thumbs up and rushed straight to the bathroom, praying to god that he wouldn't piss in his pants.

"Guys, pay no mind to me while I go clean the inside of Gintoki's room...oh, and we WILL be going to the markets today, no matter what Gin says. Trust me, I'll find a way!"

* * *

Ten minutes and an argument later, the group had found themselves walking on the streets of Edo towards the supermarket two blocks down.

"How the hell did you know where to find my money anyways?" Gin asked

"Let's just say that a little birdie told me where to find it. And now that we have the money, there's no stopping in re-supplying the deserted pantry." Lava said with a dainty smile

"Ughhh...women, can't stand 'em; pain in the ass they are." Gin said under his breath.

Lava winced in annoyance and with a fake smile, turned to Gin and stared straight into his eyes.

"You know what Gin? Why don't you get an ACTUAL job, huh? I am sick and tired of you complaining about me, when all I'm trying to do is improve your so called 'home'. Look, I'll get out of your hair after we go shopping, no more nonsense or surprises."

The gang had arrived at the supermarket and had started shopping when Lava heard something familiar in the isle next to where she was standing. She stood closer to the shelves and waited.

"Hijikata-san, your frozen mayonnaise on a cone is melting..."

"Huh? Oh yeah, mayonnaise..." The latter said dreamily and then immediately started slurping on the wretched thing.

"Hijikata-san, have I told you today how much I hate you?"

"Nope *slurp*...you haven't, which is not usual, had a change of heart did you?"

Seconds later Lava could hear a blast from the next isle, then the smashing of glass.

There, Hijikata laid flat on the road with a puzzled look on his face as people who were previously shopping in the street slowly gathered around him. It took 5 seconds for Hijikata get back up on his feet and realise the perpetrator with a recently used bazooka, was looking innocent as always, acting like nothing had happened.

"OKITA! YOU MASOCHISTIC SON OF A B-"

"Why excuse me young man! I do not tolerate such dirty language!" A voice sounded from beneath Hijikata's head.

He looked down to face the ugliest senior woman he had even seen, a female version of Quasimoto, only 100 times worse and with grey hair.

"And I don't tolerate bad genes, woman. Mirrors must crack for you every time with that face."

"Excuse me? I didn't hear you!"

"NOTHING GRANDMA! I'll make sure next time to hold my tongue in front of such a youthful beauty."

"Oh! Why...thank you, handsome..." She said walking away with a blushing red face.

"Huh? I wasn't referring to you but never mind..." He muttered under his breath whilst looking at the tall tanned girl, who he hadn't seen before. He could see that she was downright nervous, shaking legs and all.

_Oh crap, Hijikata's looking at me! Don't weird out now Lava! Act like you belong here! Play it cool.._

Lava started to very slowly walk away from the scene, hoping that no one would notice that she was gone. It only took a few steps to alert the sadistic brunette next to her and to stop her in her tracks.

"You there, where do you think you're going? I know you were eavesdropping into our conversation."

_What should I say? He'll think I'm some kind of a lunatic if I told them that they were in a made up world, and that I was transported through a manga book. No, Lava, we're going to say what is only necessary. Ok...lets do this._

"If you must know, all I heard was some guy talk about mayo and then a big bang. I'm sorry about that but I really must go, ok? How do they say it...ummm...Oh yea...Ja ne!" Lava, feeling sure that her explanation was competent, ran out of the store as fast as she could, staring at the ground, only to clash into Hijikata, who was going back inside to give Okita a piece of his mind.

"Oi! Watch where you're going you idiot! Geez, people these days..." Hijikata took a glimpse of the person who had bumped and fallen onto the ground. _It's that girl..._

"Ah, Gomen! Gomen, Hijikata-san!" _AH! CRAP, now he's gonna ask how I know him!_

"Eh? Why are you in a rush, woman? You stupid or something? You left your groceries back inside, Baka."

_Man! I'm such a fool...great, gotta go back and get humiliated in front of strangers that I know...I have to be composed from now on, if I don't, then something bad might happen, who knows what...BUT THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH FOR ME! _Lava thought in frustration as she face palmed herself whilst getting up from the floor.

_

* * *

_

15 Minutes Later

"Lava I'm gonna go and checkout the shopping, ok?" Shinpachi said.

"Yeh, you do that...I'm just gonna go for a walk down the street; It's my first time here and I wanna get a feel of the place, you know?"

"Well...don't wonder off too much or you might not know your way back and there won't be much we can do."

"Hah ok, be back in 10!" Lava said as she walked outside and quickly walked down through the neigbouring streets, exploring through the urban maze of Edo with amazement, not to mention that it was sunset and everything just looked so...magical. Aliens and humans living in a temporary peace...she couldn't believe what she was seeing, sure the manga was great but this was perfection at its most detaility. Dazed and slightly light headed in taking all this knowledge, she hadn't noticed all the people passing by looking at her weirdly, whispers between one gossiper to another.

She walked a few more streets down, to find a small park with a beautiful cherry blossom tree and a pair of swings. All the kids playing there we're all suddenly disappointed that the day had come to an end and that their mothers were calling for them so that they could all go home. It didn't take long for the park to be unoccupied, so Lava had walked to the swing and sat, looking at the dirt beneath her.

_Wow, reality hit much; Everything is where it was in the manga, now that I think about it, it's kind of got me scared and excited at the same time...I know in my heart that this must be just a dream waiting to be ended at the becking call of dawn- I just don't wan't to leave this place at all...  
_

"Wait, what? Why am I saying things like this? My dad and my only friend are in the other world! You truly are selfish sometimes Lavinia, you are. I need to go back as soon as possible or I might be reported missing by Ivy... but right now I gotta find myself some clothes to wear because evidently," looking down at her attire and pulling down on her shirt, "a pair of jeans and a purple tshirt with the words " Bullet with Butterfly Wings" aren't exactly doing me any favours with the public..." Lava said, mumbling only to herself, remembering at how people walking past her were commenting on her strange fashion sense.

"Oh, my my, what do we have here? The girl from the supermarket? Thinking you could blow me off so easily? Hah!"

Lava turned around to see that the speaker was the famed Shinsengumi warrior, Okita Sougo; a person that she really did not want to see right now. Lava, putting on her poker face bravely, looked at Okita and replied.

"What brings the almighty swordsman to my humble swing in this beautiful park at such a time? Aren't there more important things to do? Places to go, people to slash and lock up? Oh, and where's that bazooka of yours? I don't exactly want to be the next person to fall victim to such a weapon."

Okita chuckled at the remark and sat down on the swing beside Lava. The wind had blown subtley through the town and Lava had unconciously noticed the far-away look in his eyes as he looked at the sunset.

"No, I'm just avoiding Hijikata-san and his mayonaise diseased being right now and *chuckles* no, my bazooka is back at Shinsengumi Headquarter"

"Right..."

Okita took a glance at the girl next to him, wondering what thoughts were going through her head at that moment.

"Hmm...Why are you hanging around with Gintoki, Shinpachi and the feral redhead? Do you know them somehow?"

"Not really, no. It was more like fate that brought me to this town. I was kinda lost when I first "arrived", so they decided to let me crash at their place for a few days..."

Silence had slowly enveloped the conversation and the only sounds made were the peoples footsteps on the road and occasional chatter. Lava was caught in a trance with the sun setting before her, hands loosened around the chains of the swing and her head bowing slightly, with strands of hazelnut hair .

"I know so much about this place, about you and about everbody else, and yet I feel like there is so much to learn, things that aren't revealed in the books. Personality, habits, past lovers...it fascinates me so much- i've come to realise that this world does that to me a whole lot more."

Okita looked at Lava strangely, her words sounded so idiotic to him and yet her expression on her face was contradicting her words, as if she were...telling the truth?

"Do tell how you would know so much about me, if we only met today? Don't assume that I'm a person who can be figured out easily, because I can tell you from experience, people in the past "tried" to do the same, and never saw the light of day again..."

"You don't understand though...", she whispered,"I really do know you. I know what your personality is like, people who are precious to you, your favourite and least favourite things... I know that you have a sadistic side to you, and show it to people who are closest to you; Kondo-san is a person you respect, are fond of and loyal to and...I know what happened to Mitsuba... I cried so much when I saw it happen. Ughhh! Why am I telling you this? You probably think I'm a stalker or some freak."

One second Okita was seen on the swing and the next he wasn't and instead was right behind Lava with a minature version of a katana and the blade was against her throat and she could feel his breath down her neck.

"How... how much more do you know about me, girlie? Wrong move and you're dead."

* * *

**Hmmm, I feel like it isn't exactly a cliff hanger but I tried as hard as I could. Please do review my story, and I understand if you're disappointed with the quality of this, because frankly I am too, but I can't help it for I am a newb at this. =_=' If you like my story so far, favourite and if you don't, you don't have to :3 Oh and once again, i am uber uber sorry if anyone seems totally out of character.  
**


	4. Chapter 4 Facing Fears

Gintama Fanfiction Chapter 4: Facing Fears

**I am going to try and update a soon as possible, but I'm in my senior year at high school and the work load is piling up before my eyes.**

**Authors Disclaimer: All characters that belong to Hideaki Sorachi are solely his. I only really own one and that's Lava; Big difference.**

"How... how much more do you know about me, girlie? Wrong move and you're dead."

Lava's heart started to beat like crazy and she knew that she was in a whole lot of shit now. _WHY ME! Why am I cursed with being so damn truthful with everybody; someday it will be the death of me..._

"Okita, please...don't do this. I hyperventilate when I'm scared and you are doing it to me right now. PLEASE! Please, I'll explain, just give me a chance, one chance is all I need." Lava said.

Okita looked at Lava sceptically, wondering why the hell he would trust a stranger with all this knowledge about him, potentially enough to know his weakness; if this knowledge was sold to the enemy, whoever they are, he could be killed. He stood in front of her, his shadow overpowering her.

"...One chance. I have no idea why I am not dismembering your head at this very moment, but somehow, I'm feeling chivalrous. Now, please do tell how you know EVERYTHING about me. Oh and if you screw this up, I have no reason to keep you alive." Okita looked at her with his currently savage looking eyes.

Lava, eyes wide, kept her hands gripping onto the swing for dear mercy and prayed she would make sense of what she was going to say.

"Whatever I tell you, you must try and understand, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. Please promise me this...Okita"

"...It's my life you're talking about here; I guess I can try to comprehend...for your sake."

Lava took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Looking at the ground she began to tell of how she knew everything that she wasn't supposed to.

"Okita, in my world you're not real...This whole world here is NOT supposed to be real to me. I don't belong here, I never did. See, I'm from another world, parallel to yours and I was probably never meant to be here with the laws of physics and all, but somehow I am! But I know you, and I know everyone here because in my world, your whole world is depicted in a manga by a man that not even I know and it revolves mainly around Gin, Shinpachi and Kagura. This is probably means nothing, but if it's any consolation, I've always wanted to be here. Maybe I'm in a dream waiting to wake up, but so far, this is the only explanation that makes sense to me, and even that isn't reasonable or logical enough."

Tears started falling down her face and onto the ground, making the dirt underneath her a darker shade. Her eyes looked sincere and yet Okita could see by the way she gritted her teeth that she was angry and frustrated with herself.

Okita sighed and holstered his sword back. He walked back to the swing and sat down to think about what she had just said. Sure, he might live in a world where other alien life forms breathe the same air as the humans, but a parallel universe?

"You know," he said while looking ahead "It really wouldn't matter if you thought I was alive or not, because the matter of the fact is, I am right next to you and that's all the proof I need...that and the fact that I've always got Hijikata-san to torture and humiliate whenever I want to."

A small smile slowly formed on Lava's lips; most wouldn't even notice it but Okita had seen it.

"Even though the manga that I read in my world portrays some of your life, I can say it really doesn't do you justice. **(A/N SORRY FOR THAT HIDEAKI)** First thing, you're not as sadistic as you seem to be; and if you are, I'm praying to the gods that whatever it is that's making a good impression on you stay like that forever. I can say I never want to be on your bad side. Ever...I've seen it first hand in the manga AND the anime!" shivering at the thought of a sadistic Okita.

A chuckle escaped his mouth shortly after she said this and then shut up again, mentally telling himself not to let loose emotionally with a person. The sun had already set and the dark was settling into the streets. Lava looked around and realised it was dark...and she forgot to meet up with Shinpachi and the group at the supermarket.

"Ohh crap, I forgot! Man, I keep on doing this and it'll be sayonara to my stay with the Odd Jobs. I really must go Okita...but I'll come visit you and Hijikata-san at the Shinsengumi station next time. I'll get Kagura to take me there."

She looked at Okita one last time and then took off in a hurry.

* * *

Lava was nearly at the shop and was hoping the team didn't ditch her...but the closer she got, the more she was doubting herself.

_Ah well, it's my fault. Can't really blame them...wait...I can see Kagura!_

"Kagura! Oh Thank God you waited! You don't know how happy I am to see you!"

"Well, Gin did bribe me 3 pickled seaweeds... to stay and wait, even though I hate waiting...*stomach grumbles*I'M STARVING! Let's go home!"

"Ahahah, yes, lets go _home. _Well all the shoppings done, so I can't wait for an authentic Japanese meal! Mmmmmmm..."

"Mind you, I do eat like a pig, so if you don't hurry, the food will disappear before your eyes. By the way, what took you so long to get here? Four eyes told me you were taking a walk around."

"Long story...anyways, Shinpachi must be hard at work on our dinner, so we shouldn't be late!"

* * *

"Oh my god Shinpachi! WHERE did you learn to cook like that? This is absolutely amazing!"*nomnomnom*

"One reason; My sister is unfortunately a horrid cooker and I have to swallow down her burnt EVERYTHING just to make sure her feelings aren't hurt."

"Glasses, please. He's only scared that he'll get the crap beated out of him if he somehow insults her. What a total loser...and to think he's my friend." Kagura snickered.

_Hahahaha, I remember her; Otae san was it? Burned omeletes were her specialty...mmm...this is some tasty omurice...oh damn there's no more left on my plate...oh well  
_

"Hmm...don't think you could make some more, could you Shinpachi?" Lava asked

"Well considering most of the time we're left to scrounge for scraps, I'd say its better to leave the rest for later."

"Ahh damn, I had a feeling you were going to say that."

"So Lava, do you have any ideas on what brought you to Edo? We barely know anything about you and yet I feel like you're already part of the group. Tell us about your past if that isn't too much to ask..is it?" Shinpachi asked.

"Hmm, firstly I haven't figured it, being here barely 2 days and all, but I know that in time i will understand...and secondly, my past is very complicated in terms of my old "world". I'm sure my problems don't even have meaning here...you've got so much to do and so little time, and yet everytime you guys do it to the best of your ability...I admire you guys for it."

"Uh, you sure you've been hanging aroung with the right "Odd Jobs"? You've only been here for 2 days like you said, and all we've done is provide you with a roof to sleep under. If that kind of gesture can tell alot about people, then sheesh...you must be some kinda saint...or was it prophet?" Gin said.

"Uh..sure, I can tell if a person is...genuinely good or not, thats it." Lava quickly replied.

_I've only told Okita that I'm from a parallel dimension and yet I'm babling about it like 'they' already know. Keep your head in the game Lava._

"Cool. Well since that's sorted and I'm stuffed I guess the only reasonable thing to do is sleep and no, I dont brush my teeth because I am totally bad-ass. Gooood Night!" Gin said and walked into the next room.

"Kagura, could you over here for a second. I need to talk to you about someone." Lava said. Kagura slowly slid over to the other side of the table and looked at Lava.

"Yurp, what canna I do for ya? Don't mind me, I'm just really happy with all the food I've had."

"It's about why I was late today. I met up with one of the Shinsengumi, who I assume you are already one a first name basis."

"Tsk, the Shinsengumi can be a pain in the ass sometimes but they're good people. What, have they already given you crap already?"

"No, no nothing like that. It's just that I met up with Okita today. Bumped into each other coincidentally of course. I'm just wondering what you're opinion was on him."

"Well, I can say for sure he's one sophisticated guy and yet acts like he's ignorant to the world around him...I even "liked" him at one point for it, not any more though...girly crush, that's all. It's just that we shared that ruthless quality when it came to the moment of truth like our previous fights with... way too many people in our pasts."

"Wow, I never knew you could be so insightful Kagura...thanks for the info. Just needed to know who I was dealing with. Ya know...I've even considered joining the Shinsengumi...is that... a bad thing?"

"WHOA, whoa, whoa! JOINING the SHINSENGUMI? Are you effing nuts Lava? First of all, the Shinsengumi are the root of almost all our problems here and they always want to stick their big fat noses into everything. Second of all, as far as I know which isn't very much if you ask me, you DO NOT know any sort of fighting style and you don't know how to use a katana! And thirdly, there are NO female members in the Shinsengumi because there's some shitty rule stating that women are not permitted or some shit like that. Now, tell me again why you'd want to join such a crappy bunch of people?" Kagura asked

"Jesus Kagura, calm your farm. I just said I've considered, doesn't mean I have concreted my decision. I just... can't not be fascinated with the Shinsengumi and on the bright side, they've got some quite good looking men in there. All it is, is that I believe that if I join then one by one other women who want to fight crime in Edo can join the Shinsengumi. I want to learn fighting styles and I want to be good at the katana and the Shinsengumi is probably the best place to do just that. All I have to do is convince them that I'm worthy of being the first woman to be trained and instated into the Shinsengumi."

"I may be stupid but I know enough that it's going to be harder for you than any other member, being a girl. Trust me, men always underestimate girls and while that gives us the advantage of surprise, more effort is needed to earn their respect. My superhuman strength is the very main factor that earned their respect...although, it's more like a fear of getting beaten to a pulp by me..."

"Ahahhaha, I totally know what you mean. Hmm this is really random but what day is it exactly? Lost track of time that's all."

"Its Tuesday today. Hahah, where have you been, under a rock?"

"Yeah, more like it. So if I do really want to take up this commitment to become one of the Shinsengumi, who do you suggest I approach first?" Lava asked.

_I hope she doesn't suggest Okita; it was really awkward last time and he knows everything..._

"Hijikata is a total wanker who I despise very much so I suggest you DO not go to him, Okita is one weird guy and even though he means well and all, I know from experience that he'll screw up your mind if you get out of line so going to him is a total no-no, trust me on this one...I guess you'll either have to ask Kondo-san or Yamazaki. When you get to the station, which I'll take you there by the way, the one that looks like a gorilla is Kondo and the person obsessed with badminton is Yamazaki. I'll introduce you to them and you'll see Okita again, you did say you bumped into him right?."

"You mother...", Lava murmured under her breath, "Yeah I did! Anyways, you do that tomorrow, yeah? You free then to take me?"

"Well we got no jobs at the moment so I guess I'll have time. Well you have a good nights sleep. I'm off to my cupboard bed. Girls like me need their beauty sleep you know." She said with a smile and then winked.

Lava laughed. "Yeah you do that!" Lava sat in silence for a minute looking at the scraps on the plates left on the table. _Wait...what?_

"Oh, and Lava, since you said something on the lines of "earning your board" here, you'll have to do the dishes tonight!" Kagura yelled from her cupboard.

"Ah man...well, these won't wash themselves, will they?" Lava said to herself and one by one got all the plates and cutlery off the table and carried it into the sink, washed them and stashed it away in the cupboards.

"Phew that's all over...god, I need some fresh air." Lava walked across the apartment and went outside onto the balcony. She could see the rustic japanese aesthetic houses all bunched up against one another though the whole town. There had been newly installed lights for the streets and Lava could see passing strangers go by.

"Its so peaceful at night...ah..." She said as all her inner stress had just been released from her. "I just wish all nights would be as tranquil and quiet as this one."

Lava started to hum a tune and then gradually added sweet words to the tune staring into the starry sky above her. "I'm a new soul...I've come to this strange world...hoping I could come and learn a bit bout how to give an' take...But since I came here felt the joy and the fear...finding myself making every possible mistake...la la la la la la..."

Lava hadn't noticed that whilst she was singing, a stranger had stopped walking on the street and watched her sing. "New soul...la la la la,... In this very strange world... Every possible mistake...possible mistake..." Clapping came from the street and Lava stopped and looked at the person on the street that was clapping. She knew the person was familiar and the harder she looked the more she made out of the person, whom was smiling.

"Oh my god," she said to herself, "Its Okita!" Impulsively, she ran inside the apartment, shut the door and started to breathe heavily. "What was he doing out there? And why the HELL am I reacting like this?" She whispered furiously to herself.

A few minutes had gone by and she had calmed herself to the point where she was leaning her back to the door and closed her eyes. "Fark..what am I going to do now?"

Lava took a big breath, slowly opened the door and peeked outside. Okita was nowhere to be seen. "How awkward. I'll have to face him tomorrow and chances are he's gonna question me on why I ran away...that or he'll totally ignore me. AH, my head hurts. This calls for a good night's sleep."

She walked walked to the storage room of the apartment, which fixed and cleaned up and made into a small bedroom, fit enough for her. She closed the door and laid down onto her futon. She placed herself into a sleeping position, with her hands next to her head and looking to the wall infront of her. "Whatever higher power can here me right now, please look out for Ivy and...my dad also. I might forget sometimes how much they really mean to me but as the old saying goes 'You don't know how valueable someone is until they're gone.'" Lava quietly said, sobbing and then gradually went into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Well well guys, I know crap ending for a chapter but I'm so gonna make it better next time...not much progress on the Lava/Okita part but I'm getting there. I hope you guys are enjoying this fic, and if not just say so :D Reviews are appreciated! JA NE :D**

**Demoncakes xoxoxoxo**


	5. Chapter 5 Initiation

Gintama Fanfiction Chapter 5

Authors Note: Sorry for not updating it sooner. I think it's been months since I've read fanfiction but with becoming a senior at school, life is tough when you're doing all the advanced subjects. Anyways, thanks to all those who have been reviewing; it's practically the only reason why I continue. I know Okita may not seem normal and most probably way out of character, but come on, give a noobie writer a break. Now let's get on with the story shall we! :D

OH AND THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING FOR REVIEWING MY STORY!

- GuSiRuLi

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- Yuzuru 123

- Angel

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- kamikorosuXP

- Nadeaki san 3

- Maichiru Sakura

* * *

The crickets were in full orchestra, sign that it was in the midst of summer and the Odd Jobs trio and Lava were standing infront of the gates of the Shinsengumi HQ.

"Any day now...we can't stay out here forever, waiting for you to grow a pair." Gin said.

"I know I know! I'm just a bit nervous, you know...if I wasn't, then I wouldn't bother being here in the first place."

"Yeah Gin! She's ready and it's only going to take a little time until she's confident with herself that she can do this! You CAN do this right Lava?" Kagura asked.

Shinpachi sighed. "All of you, stop stressing her out. She needs time to breathe. You don't have to do this Lava; we've dealt with these people on numerous occasions and I can personally say that some of them are trouble. So... as Kagura was saying, can you do this?"

"YES I CAN! Ok, I'm ready. Let's go inside..." Lava said. Gin banged at the front gate and had waited for a reply. A Shinsengumi member came to their beckoning call.

"Yes, can I help you people with anything? Is it directions you need? Any assistance needed?" The man asked.

Lava had cleared out her throat before addressing the man. "Ahem...yes, I would like to request an audience with the Commander of the Shinsengumi, Isao Kondo."

"And the purpose of this visit? Why must you see the Commander himself? He is a very important and influential person within the Shinsengumi and has better things to spend his time on then a mere woman." He said to Lava with distaste.

_Excuse me? A MERE WOMAN? You little sexist bastard! And you're saying that time spent on Tae and then getting beaten senselessly by her is more important?_

"Well I guess it's up to the commander to judge on whether or not his time is better spent on other "matters" such as, oh I don't know, stalking and being constantly rejected by the same woman. I am here on an important matter that may well be revolutionary in the Shinsengumi so if you wouldn't mind, I humbly request to see the Commander." Lava said in an amusing yet commanding tone, concealing her instant hatred for that man very well.

"Uh...I...I will go notify the Commander right now. Follow me please."

Kagura came up next to Lava. "Nice going there; I was about to tell off the guy myself but I see you had it all under control. That dream of yours might become a reality after all, Miss O'Cornell." She whispered and winked at Lava.

Lava blushed in embarrassment while they were walking inside the compound of the Shinsengumi. It was pretty open and spacious and Lava could see half the members practicing their sword strokes, swinging up and down constantly in a timed fashion. Gin snickered and made some childish comment on their hairstyles.

The team reached up to, what obviously was the main building, where Lava assumed all the most important and high ranking officers resided within, during the daily activities. The man leading the team turned around and gestured the group to wait in front the sliding doors. He then went inside and in less than a minute came back outside and nodded them to proceed inside.

Lava went in first with Gin, Kagura and Shinpachi following after her. It was gloomy inside and there were 3 distinctive figures, sitting patiently on the other side of the room. The one in the middle was Kondo and by his side, were his trusted companions, Hijikata on his left and Okita on his right. Lava recognised Okita immediately, felt the blood rushing to her head and thanked the heavens that the room was dark enough to cover her slightly red face.

She sat down in front of Kondo, with a bit of distance between them and so did the other three accompanying her. The man before her, who resembled a gorilla, began to talk in a deep voice. "I have been told that a woman has been asking for my audience. I would like her to address herself before me."

Lava bowed her head in respect and initiated into speech. "I, Lavinia O'Cornell, humbly ask the reverent Commander of the Shinsengumi, to accept me as a recruit for the Shinsengumi!"

Kondo's eyes widened in astonishment and looked straight ahead into Lava's eyes, where Lava didn't back down in shame and instead returned a look of determination. Hijikata had slightly choked on his cigarette and took a few coughs to straighten himself out while the person to the right of Kondo had remained as stoic as ever.

Hijikata looked more sceptical, taking ever so slow puffs of his cigarette. "I have seen you before haven't I...yes, I have; you were that girl at the supermarket who was listening in to our conversation. Hmm, reconnaissance, smart...learning about the Shinsengumi's personnel before even meeting them. What exactly is your ulterior motive for joining the Shinsengumi? Romance? Fame? Power?"

He took a breather before continuing."Because as far as I have seen, no woman has come before us demanding anything, least of all joining our organisation. Historically, the Shinsengumi have a no woman policy because it hinders the concentration of the men and therefore hinders them from being efficient and sharp in battle. So why now of all times should we change, for you?"

Lava looked at Hijikata, speechless. She knew this would happen to her, that there would be objections against her proposition, but never did she imagine that such words would scar her memory forever. _I have come this far, and there's no way in hell that I'm backing down now!_ Lava thought.

She took a deep breath. "Look, I have been through a lot lately, experiences that were literally 'life changing'; experiences which had caused me to go through a phase of pure epiphany. Whilst I slept peacefully at the generosity of my friends here, my past flashed through my eyes in a different perspective unbeknownst to me. I had realised what opportunities I had missed because of my sardonic attitude towards the better part of my life and it was no one's fault but my own. I want to change this; I have to. Sure, it may be in my own self interest to reform myself but I will become a valuable asset to the Shinsengumi."

"I know a lot about this town and its people, your enemies and also about all of you. I don't want my gender to become a restriction. I want it to become of aid to the Shinsengumi and to Edo; men are not the only answer you know. Women can interact more casually with other women and can relate more closely to each other than if a man were to. If you all take into consideration that half of Edo's population are women, then there's the possibility that you have restricted yourselves to only half of the towns voices. I can be of much assistance...if you would permit me to. With the authority of the Shinsengumi, I would make a real difference within the town."

She exhaled then deepply inhaled."I know I can keep my hands of other men, especially work colleagues and such, but it is also on the men's part to do their duty and not be distracted by the likes of one woman in their work environment. With that underway, the joining of a woman in the Shinsengumi would help promote it towards other prospective women wanting to enter the law enforcement business and therefore expanding the Shinsengumi in a whole different dimension. Change is needed in Edo and for change to happen...this organisation needs to change from within." She finished with a loud intake of air.

The room went silent for a minute. Eyes looking all at one direction: Lava. A loud long whistle broke the silence, emitted from Gin's mouth. Lava looked to her side and saw Kagura, proudly smiling and Shinpachi, flabbergasted at Lava's monologue.

Gin was obviously impressed, gave a smirk and a thumbs up. Lava slowly but reluctantly looked in front of her to see the three men that were going to judge her future in regards to the Shinsengumi. Kondo looked dumbstruck; Hijikata stared straight at her and waited for Kondo's decision and Okita finally showed some sign of curiosity, looking at her but as if he could see straight through her.

"I can see the determination in your eyes Lavinia san, and that is very assuring. The words you spoke were very true and I am ashamed to admit this, but I never realised this until now. I now know firsthand how the perspective of one woman can change and open the views of many. If we were to accept you, would you swear to uphold the standards and beliefs of which we, the Shinsengumi, hold in the highest regard?"

Lava's eyes brightened at Kondo's words. _He actually wants me to join! _

"Yes, I swear to abide by all Shinsengumi codes, reverential Commander." Lava said and bowed her head down. She took a sign of relief and slightly smiled.

"Well that's settled then. From here onward, Lavinia O'Cornell is now an official member of the Shinsengumi! Any last minute objections Toshi? Okita?"

All eyes were on Hijikata first. He took his cigarette out of his mouth and smirked. "I've got to hand it to you, you really outdid yourself there. Any questions that might have been asked by me or Okita over here were all answered adequately by you. I have no objections to you joining now but you must realise, that it will take time for the men to adjust, so don't think it will be easy from here on."

Lava smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your blessings, Vice Commander." She looked towards Okita, expectant of an answer.

"I've got one question for you Lavinia san. Where did you get such a peculiar name?" Okita asked with a fake innocence.

Lava smiled sadly at his words. "I was named after my late mother. Lavinia means 'legendary mother of the roman people' or so I'm told. It also means purity. Ironic, huh, because I am far from pure." A tear fell down her cheek and Okita was the only one in the room to notice it.

"Well Lavinia san, it's time to issue you your uniform. No Shinsengumi member goes without uniform; the only problem in your case would be that you are a female and male uniforms won't allow space for," Kondo said with a flushing red face, "woman-like curves and such. Our tailor is one of the finest in Edo; his name is Hiroshi Mochizuki. You can go there and get your measurements take and then you'll have to wait a few days for your uniform to get made."

Gin whistled raunchily in Lava's direction. Lava death stared Gin, which only provoked him even further with his whistling. She looked back at Kondo with a straight back and a renewed strength of mind. "Thank you once again for accepting my proposition. I know you won't be disappointed in me."

* * *

Lava and the Odd Jobs team were sitting at a food stall, gobbing down plates of takoyaki and dango in celebration of her acceptance into the Shinsengumi. Kagura was racking up a major bill, taking advantage of the fact that it was Gin treating them to dinner.

"Ahhhh man, the looks on their faces – priceless. You see, me and Hijikata have some rivalry going on, so when he choked on his cancer stick, it really made my day." Gin smiled cheekily at his empty cup of sake. He poured himself some more and sighed.

"It wasn't my intention to do that... I only hope that the Shinsengumi will find that my joining will be beneficial to them. The only thing I am not looking forward to is the troupe of men that will be prejudicial towards me."

Shinpachi patted Lava on the back and smiled. "Lava san, lighten up, how bad could it be?"

* * *

_Very bad. It's going to be UNDENIABLY BAD. ARGHH! Stop worrying Lava; you're only going to fail if you think negatively. _Lava tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't go to sleep and flipped the blanket off her. In the lounge room she checked the time on the clock: it was 2 am in the morning. She put on a coat lying on the floor and a pair of slippers and made her way out of the house. It was breezy, not too cold, and the few lights on the streets of Edo lit her path. She walked, breathed in and out forcefully in an attempt to calm herself down but failed. Maybe it was coincidental but after a few minutes of staring at her feet whilst walking, she found herself at the very same park that she had been at a couple of days ago. She walked up to one of the swings and sat down. Everything seemed still, no hustling and bustling on the streets. Just her...it seemed.

"Just what have I done? I gave into an impulse and now that I have actually thought it through, I won't even last a week with those men! Come to think of it, I'll have to start living there from now on. Oh great, you're just bloody great aren't you Lavinia O'Cornell, the girl who strives to help everyone and can't even help herself." Lava said to herself and threw her hands in the air, looking up into the skies. Something had caught her eye in the sky.

"Wow, it's...beautiful. I never see this back home." She whispered to herself. Lava walked away from the swings, found herself a patch of grass that wasn't as dewy as the rest and laid herself down, enabling the full view of the heavens above her. She took a deep breath and smiled. "I have been worrying so much about myself that I've forgotten how small I am compared to the rest of the universe..." She said with a melancholic smile. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes; she seemed to calm down a lot and that had pleased her. She heard a little rustle in the grass and slowly opened her felt the presence of another close by and panicked. _What type of maniac could be in a park at this sort of hour? Wait, I shouldn't be talking..._

She used her peripheral vision to see that the person had laid down beside her. The person smelt of rain, exotic pine and a hint of blood, much to Lava's surprise. She had remembered this scent from before. She turned around to see none other than Okita, who was staring up at the starry skies.

Her breath was stuck in her throat and she didn't know why. She gripped on to the grass beside her, waiting for either one of them to start conversation. With some courage she began to talk to the person next to her whilst still staring above.

"Good friends are like stars...you don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Do you think that one day you and I will become good friends Okita san? I am joining the Shinsengumi after all... I have told you my deepest secret and yet I don't even really know you personally, besides the whole 'me knowing everything about you' thing."

She heard a sigh escape from the other person and some rustling in the grass. She looked beside her and saw that Okita was looking straight at her with one of his hands holding his head, making her a lot more nervous than before.

"Don't count on it. For all you know I could be a sadistic bastard tugging at your emotions until the time where you will be at your weakest, emotionally, ready to break apart. Besides, I have no time for friends; I need to become Vice Commander and you'll only get in the way of my goals." He softly said, with a sense of malice in his voice.

Lava softly gasped at his words, eyes glued to the stars. "Then I guess it's a lost cause huh...friends, how stupid I was to think that..." The summer wind blew through the park and the crickets were still buzzing.

"I have been put in charge of training you."

_Ok, so he's been put in charge of training...wait...me? _

"Although your ideals and visions for the future are optimistic, too optimistic if you ask me, it means nothing if you can't defend yourself in battle with criminals, extremists or aliens. Don't think you'll get special treatment because you're a girl; I'll probably train you so much harder than normal that you'll be asking me to kill you before you've ended your training. But don't worry, it's all going to be for your benefit and you'll thank me after." Okita stood up and his hair rustled in the wind; he looked down at Lava, stared at her for a few seconds and then started to walk away.

Lava saw him moving further away from her and stood up as well; a question had popped up in her mind. "Ano...where will I stay within the Shinsengumi? I do have to live there when I start don't I?" She questioned. There was a short discomfited silence after.

"I don't know; you just pray that you won't be bunched in with the rest, because if you do than you might not be as lucky as you were last time." Okita said and continued to walk away until he could not be seen from Lava's view. She sighed and began to walk back to the Odd Jobs house.

Like before, it seemed just like a moment to get to the house, contrary to what happened before, which felt like forever to her. Lava walked up the ramp, opened the slide door and crept in silently, in an attempt to not wake anybody up. Opening up her door, she saw her bed and collapsed in it.

She moaned with gleeful bliss. "Ah, my sweet bed, how I missed you." She said into her pillow. "A well-spent day brings happy sleep; oh how right you were Leonardo. Tomorrow is the dawn of a new chapter in my life; Lavinia O'Cornell! Member of the esteemed Shinsengumi and enforcer of the almighty law. Hah, how cheesy does that sound! Ah well," she yawned, "time to meet the sandman." She softly murmured before being lulled into a deep sleep, one filled with hope and faith in the future to come.

* * *

A/N: R & R to anyone who's bothered to do so :D Oh and when I was referring to "Leonardo", I meant Leonardo Da Vinci.


	6. Chapter 6 Predicament

**Chapter 6 - Belonging**

**A/N**: AHHHHH X( I haven't been doing anything on this fic for like nearly a year - I am such a lazy person and I'm so sorry to those people who had followed me or favourited me. I don't deserve such nice people reading my stories. But honestly, I swear, for the last few months has been ridiculous. I've been in and out of hospital and school is getting ever so more stressful than ever. :'( I really do want this fic to continue and I will try extra hard to see this through.  
And another thing, chapter 5 didn't have a title and I stupidly forgot to put one - anyways, for those who wanted to know, it was called** "initiation".**

* * *

**"I knew that looking back on the tears would make me laugh but i never knew that looking back on the laughs would bring tears." **

Lava opened a blank book with lines and wrote on the front page - "To My Mother and My sweet sisters." She began writing the first entry on the next page.

_Dear mother in heaven,_

_I miss you so much. The thought of you is a bittersweet memory, so bitter that sometimes I wish I had forgotten you and the pain the thought of you brings to my heart._

_I miss everyone so much. How's the wreckers? Are they still as bubbly up in heaven, or even more so, as they were down here on Earth? I wonder how they look now..I bet they both look beautiful and radiant as ever. I can remember how they always bickered and annoyed the heck out of each other - and I was their personal referee and servant._

_I miss their beautiful laughs and the rosey shade that would cross their cheeks everytime I made them feel embarrassed or extremely happy. I miss your scent mother. I miss your cooking that you had poured in all your love and devotion into. I wish that everyone had been taken or everyone stayed alive, that way we'd be together, either in this life or the next. However, wishing, hoping, praying that you'd all come back to me won't work._

_ Nothing will ever bring you back to me..._

Her tears came trickling down, down on her cheeks and onto her desk, on which she had her head currently laid on, with her arms used as support. Lava knew she shouldn't focus too much on her family, but she couldn't help it...

After her little crying session, she had gone to the shops, with some money (don't ask from whom or where) to buy some authentic looking clothing. Walking the streets, she saw little children run after each other in a game of tag, their eyes all sparkling in excitement. A vicious pain suddenly tugged at her heart as she remembered the times she would spend with her little sisters mucking around. One hand gripping over the place of her heart, she managed to pull her normal facade over her pained expression, acted like nothing happened and made her way.

She found a nice boutique, selling modest yet fashionable clothing for women of her age. Entering the door, which triggered a small jingle of a bell, she was greeted a beautiful lady, looking roughly the same age as herself, behind the store counter.

"Irasshaimase! Is there anything that you need in particular?" The lady asked with a smile.

"Ahhhaaha, yes, well no there isn't - thing is I need clothing and to be honest, I don't have that much of style sense, so could you help me out with that?"

"Of course, right this way." The beautiful lady gestured as she went down one of the clothing aisles. She halted, inspected one of the racks, pulled out an article of clothing and put it against Lava gently. "Hmmm...maybe not - I'll go for a darker tone..." She said as she continued through the racks.

This had gone on for half an hour and finally after finding and trying on some clothes, Lava was ready to pay for them.

"That'll be 6700 yen thanks!" She stated chirpily. Lava handed over money and looked at the lady's name tag: Tsuki.

"Hey thanks for that Tsuki. I really appreciate the help. You know... I'm new in town, and making friends is an absolute nightmare, and I was wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime and do something that girls like to do." Lava said with a slight blush of embarrassment.

Tsuki looked a bit shocked - and then she smiled. "Sure thing, but first thing - I always need to know a friends name."

"My name... is Lava". She said with a big smile.

* * *

Gin knocked at the door. "Yo Lava, we have to leave. So get your pretty arse out here and show us."

Lava struggled within the tight confines of what was now her room, to change into her new clothing. _Oh gods in heaven, I hope I put on everything on right. Oh well, here goes nothing. _She slowly opened the door, know seeing Kagura, Gin and Shinpachi were waiting for her. She stepped outside with her new attire and felt embarrassed with all the eyes on her.

She walked up to a nearby mirror and stared at herself. Her short sleeved sapphire blue Chinese styled top, much like Kagura's, went to mid thigh, with a gold trimming and to compliment it, she wore semi tight slightly shimmering black pants. To complete the look, her feet donned red ballet flats and with that was a cherry blossom ornament on her hair. To put it straight, she looked gorgeous.

"You look so cute Lava! Whaaaaaaaa! I wish I was that pretty!" Kagura exclaimed and kept on making whining sounds.

Lava rubbed the back of her head, even more so embarrassed than before. "Ahahaha...erhemm...thanks."

Gin deadpanned at Kagura and smirked. "Kagura, please, just stop before you embarrass yourself."

Kagura looked at Gin and pouted. "What? You don't think that I'm pretty? GIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNN-CHHAANNNNNNN am I pretty?" Her attempt at looking sexy failed big time and Gin deadpanned even more.

"No I don't. Go chew on some seaweed or something, to keep your big mouth busy." The both of them kept on arguing, throwing around senseless topics such as seaweed, Gin's Jump, strawberry milk and Sadaharu's shedding of fur .

Shinpachi, caught in the middle, popped a vein in his forehead and officially lost it. "EVERYONE! JUST SHUT UP!" The both of them immediately ceased their arguing, turned to the person and squinted.

"Huh? Whadyaa gonna do about it short stuff?" Kagura yelled in a Kansai accent, attempting to mimic a Yakuza.

Gin followed suit. "Yeah, according to viewer polls, you were ranked 8th! Right after Kagura's snot nosed brother! So don't go telling us off!"

Lava just sighed. "Guys, guys...its no biggie. Besides, weren't we going to do something? Like, oh I dunno, go to the Shinsengumi Tailor today?"

They all turned back to Lava and realized they were wasting time.

"Right, we were weren't we? I'm sooooo sorry Lava!", Kagura whined as she ran to Lava and hung onto her arm. "Stupid Shinpachi, it's all his fault!" She said, pointing her tiny digit at the eyeglass wearing boy.

"It's all good! Don't worry; let's just go and get the uniform fitted!" Lava said, and both Kagura and Lava walked out of the apartment with big smiles.

Gin mumbled something about a parfait and followed the two in front. Shinpachi, absolutely flabbergasted about what just happened, internalized his anger and frustration and chanted something to himself, forcing himself to smile and move on with them.

* * *

The foursome (**A/N**: no sexual innuendo intended) made their way into the Edo business district and god, it was bustling. So many creatures and humans alike were all there to do business. Lava's eyes sparkled at the sight of all the buildings around her and the population that came through this area. _Wow, this is just too good. We have got to come here again! I can't wait to explore this place even more!_

She was looking around and something caught her eye. Her eyes widened so much and she made an uninvited squeal, immediately bringing her hands to her mouth. Catching her breath again, she looked again. Her line of sight caught a couple making out underneath a Sakura tree - it wasn't the kissing that got to her head, it was the people doing it. A girl, with with dark blonde hair and pink eyes, was pressed against the tree by a...humanoid amanto! His light green skin and dark green hair tussled in the breeze as he kissed the girl, looking at her with his striking yellow eyes. They looked so... happy together.

_That is so bizarre...and exciting...and oh my god, so romantic! AHHHHHHH! I want to be kissed now!_ Lava thought.

"Hello? Lava? Lavinia? Are you stupid or something?" A voice broke her little romantic trance. She looked at the hand waving in front of her face and deducted that it belonged to Kagura.

"Ah gomen Kagura - I was just a bit..erm...distracted." Lava said with a slight blush.

"I'll say! Anyways, we gots to get going if we wanna see the old guy thats gonna fit ya up today."

_Oh right, that's why we're here. Ahahahahahaha...I'm a total doofus._

* * *

They spent 20 mins inspecting every crook and cranny of the CBD until they stopped in front of a medium sized shop with an elegant looking sign: The Official Tailor for the Shinsengumi.

One by one, they entered the store and the first distinguishable thing that hit them was the smell; the stench of strong tobacco infiltrated their noses, and Lava being an asthmatic in the other world, detested the smell, and put her hand over her mouth and nose.

The store had a massive counter, on which only a small bell and a light laid on top. Looking around the store, there were different sorts of materials mainly in the darker tones, all there organised in shelves and what not.

Ringing the little bell, Lava waited anxiously for the arrival the tailor, so did the rest of the group, with Gin and Kagura having ulterior plans to spending their day rather than at the tailor.

From a hallway at the back of the store, a shadow emerged of medium height, and smoke emitting from what seemed its mouth. As the shadow came closer, the light shone onto the figure, which revealed an old man with short gray hair, striking blue eyes and a cigar in his mouth. He walked over behind the counter and turned to them.

"What da ya want ya scoundrels? The milk bars down the street. You have no business here." He said, looking at the group with an evil eye.

Gin's face scrunched up into a scowl. "HUH? What da we want, old man? We're here for a uniform fitting, like every other bugger, ya old geezer!"

The man's evil stare increased ten fold for a few seconds and then he squinted at Gin. "So I guess you're the bloke who's he for the uniform? Kondo said a new recruit was coming for a fitting."

Lava looked at Gin and then back at the man. She coughed out loud, catching the old man's attention. "Hahah, well you see, it's actually me who's here for the fitting."

The man spent a full ten seconds staring at Lava with a blank expression before he full on burst into laughing. "Lady, you are one funny bird! You just made my day! Hahahahah!" He laughed grabbing his stomach, trying to gasp for air.

The expression on her face was mixed with confusion and anger. "Sir, I think you misunderstood me. I really am here for the uniform fitting. I am officially the first female member of the Shinsengumi!" She said, holding her head high and puffing out her chest in pride.

The laughing from the man eventually ceased and there came back the evil eye on his face. "Huh? Is that so? Wow, the Shinsengumi have gotten worse, accepting a girl. Anyhow, I won't question the authority of Kondo. Let's just hope he knows what he's doing, when obviously he's made a big mistake." He sneered.

Lava's eyes went wide. _How dare he, the ignoramus! Stupid old people, they just don't know when to shut up and keep their opinions to themselves!_

The man came around the counter with a measuring tape on his neck and a pen in his hand. Looking at the rest of the group, he told them to move away from Lava. He moved close to her, a lot closer than she would deem appropriate, and began measuring her. She seemed fine with the touching part, until he came to measure her bust. He put the tape around her chest, where his head just barely reached in terms of height (A/N: she's a pretty tall girl), and smirked. "At least you got one good attribute about ya, Chesty La Roue - the boys will just_ love_ you over there."

Lava blushed, despite being quite offended. She had plenty of things in her mind to rebut against his comment on her quite filled out chest, but decided against it and stayed silent.

It took a few more minutes for the measuring to finish. Lava sighed and relieved herself of a breath that she didn't know she was holding. The man finished jotting down some numbers on his hand and looked back at her.

"The uniform will be done in 2 days and I'll send someone down to the Shinsengumi HQ. Now, be gone - and good luck, you're going to need it." He said with a worried frown.

* * *

2 days later

"Okay, guys, this is it - I'm packed." The girl said with a sad frown on her face.

"EHHHHH! Why do you have to go, Lava-chan? We need you! I need you!" The fiery red head cried.

"Good luck Lava-san; may you succeed in all your future endeavors." Shin said, with a sad smile.

"Tschhh, shut up seaweed breath. And pachie, seriously, what's with shitty goodbye? All you have to do is this." Gin said, and then suddenly he got close to Lava and without hesitation, put his around her and gave her a big hug. He put his mouth near her ear, with his breath tingling on her skin. "Come back okay?" He whispered before he let go of her.

Lava stood there, mouth open and as red as a tomato. She couldn't keep her eyes off Gin, who watched her smugly.

She couldn't trust herself to say anything in the state she was in but she had to try. "I-I-I will m-miss you guys. I-I will t-try to meet y-you guys when I-I c-can."

A taxi driver beeped its horns, irritated at waiting for the group to say their goodbyes.

Gin carried Lava's luggage down the stairs and into the car's boot. Lava walked up to the passenger door, opened it and sat on the seat, one leg outside on the road. She looked back at the trio. _This is definitely not the end of the road for us; there are so many things to do together, so just hold on for a while, okay?_

A small tear escaped her face and she quickly wiped it off. "Take care guys and don't get into too much trouble, okay? Sayonara Shin-san, Gura-chan...Gin-san."

She closed the door and gestured for the taxi driver to go. Slowly, but steadily moving, she watched three figures steadily become three dots at the edge of her eyesight.

It took 15 mins to get there by taxi; a quick unload of the luggage, courtesy of the taxi driver. A person was waiting outside for her arrival, and looked relieved at the sight of her. Lava immediately recognized the face; the one and only anpan loving Yamazaki.

"Ohayo! I'm Yamazaki and I'll be your guide around the Shinsengumi today. It's very exciting that we have a new female member of the force; everyone's been talking about it non stop, all like old women they are." He said with a chirpy tone and a big warm smile on his face.

Lava felt at ease. _Thank god it's Yamazaki- hmm...maybe I should buy him some anpan as a thank you gift or something..._

"Oh, and Lava-san was it? I'll be taking your luggage; today will be the only day that any sort of chivalry will be shown. Once you're in your uniform, you'll be a fully blown member of the Shinsengumi, meaning that you'll be equals with your fellow members." He picked up the luggage bag in an effortless sort of manner and began to walk whilst talking. The main topic that Yamazaki kept on coming back to in their conversations was anpan; not surprising really.

He showed her around the layout of the Shinsengumi - the meeting room, the dojo, the mess (A/N: it's a place where people eat) and finally the sleeping quarters. Lava showed a sign of distress on her face, with a frown donning her face and the sudden strike of a dry mouth. She gulped and waited for what Yamazaki would say.

"Here are the sleeping quarters, where all the Shinsengumi sleep. Usually we are bunched up in rooms with two to three members within one room, but considering the special circumstances under which you have come, Kondo san has made a separate sleeping quarter from the males."

Upon hearing those words, Lava ran at Yamazaki and hugged him tightly. "THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH!" It took a few seconds to realize what she had done, awkwardly breaking the hug and looking a big flushed. "...Sorry about that, I couldn't help myself. I'm just REALLY glad I didn't have to sleep with the rest of you guys!"

Yamazaki had gone into a love struck daze, blushing and full out day dreaming; nobody had ever thanked him like that, let alone any girl even coming close to hugging him. He was one to scare off all the girls with his anpan obsession, but this girl, this girl seemed different. He was going to like his time here with the new female member after all.

* * *

Lava was getting settled into her new room. Whilst it didn't have the aesthetic quality that a normal teenage girl's/young woman's would usually appreciate, it did have a built in wardrobe and had much space for her to make improvements.

A knock came at the door and a voice spoke through the slide door. "I have your uniform."

Lava walked to the door and opened it. A Shinsengumi member with dark brown hair with burgundy eyes looked at her, with a plastic package in his hand. He handed the package over and walked away. She poked her head out the door and looked down to see the man walk off. _I wonder who that was..._

Not losing any sleep over the mysterious man, she closed the door and ripped at the packaging. Her eyes sparkled at the finery of the uniform, the expert needling and threading, only done by the top of professionals. _Hmmm...that old geezer is actually good for something - no wonder he's the official tailor. Okay, time to get out of this clothing..._

She pulled off her purple shirt and then took quickly took her pants off. All that was left on her was a matching pair of red cotton underwear that she had bought in Edo whilst being with the Odd Jobs Trio.

Picking up the undershirt, which was part of the uniform, she slipped her arms through the sleeves. Unbeknownst to her someone was making their way to her room and opened her door suddenly without warning. Red eyes met brown. The expression on Lava's face was priceless; a mix between shock, embarrassment and total and utter confusion. For a second there, she lost her voice completely, her will to speak.

That will came back quite quickly and she was not one to hold her tongue. "OKITA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" She yelled, quickly trying to cover up as much of her body as she could with the mere undershirt, which was a bit transparent.

Those devious red eyes danced with delight, as they ran all over her body. "Nothing, just taking in the sights." He said with a smirk.

"WELL GET OUT!" She ran at the door and slammed it right in his face.

_How dare he? Doesn't he have any sort of respect for me, for my privacy? Ah, I will have such a tongue lashing for him when I get to see him next, that he'd wish he was a masochist!_

Gripping her hair in frustration, she decided the best way forward was to calm down and get changed.

It was quite easy to change into her uniform and it was a very comfortable fit. She looked in the full length mirror connected to her wardrobe and breathed a sigh of relief. _Hmmm...my butt doesn't look so fat in this one, wooohoo! _

Now, finding that sadist and making him pay for the predicament she was in, was the only thing on her mind.

* * *

Okay ;) I'm ACTUALLY making some progress with the pairing =) Please, PRETTY PLEASE review ^-^ I know I don't deserve it, but I need some indication on whether you guys like this story or not.


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